Things to do in Oxford
Spires, punts and pubs older than most countries. Oxford rewards anyone willing to turn down the side street.
Pick a vibe
New College
Wizarding Oxford
Find the real Oxford spots that stood in for Hogwarts on screen.
City Centre
The Hidden Oxford
Find something you've walked past a hundred times without noticing.
Wolvercote
Trout Inn Sunset
Watch the sunset over the Thames from the terrace of Oxford's most famous riverside pub.
New College Lane
The Bridge Mystery
Three clues. One bridge. Figure out why it's called what it's called.
Oxford Castle
Ghosts of Oxford Castle
Oxford Castle has an 1,000-year-old mound, a former prison, and plenty of ghost stories. Go after dark.
Cherwell Boathouse
Punt for Two
Hire a punt at Cherwell Boathouse and let one of you do all the work while the other enjoys the view.
Covered Market
Try Something You've Never Eaten
Find a snack you've never tried, for under £4, inside the Covered Market.
Port Meadow
Port Meadow Golden Hour
Catch the sunset over Port Meadow, where wild horses still roam free.
Holywell Street
Oxford After Dark
The same streets look completely different at night. Go see.
Oxford Castle
The 20-Minute Detour
Climb something. Get a view you didn't expect.
University Parks
Stargazers of University Parks
Find the darkest corner of University Parks and look up.
Beaumont Street
Ashmolean Rooftop View
Skip the galleries and go straight up — the Ashmolean's rooftop terrace has one of the best views in Oxford.
Beaumont Street
Afternoon Tea at the Randolph
Take afternoon tea in the hotel that's been Oxford's grandest address since 1866.
Christ Church Meadow
The Meadow Reset
Twenty minutes of green space, no phone, one good view.
St Aldate's
The Alice Trail
Find the shop that inspired Alice in Wonderland, right across from Christ Church.
Magdalen Bridge
Punt Like a Local
Hire a punt at Magdalen Bridge and get yourself down the Cherwell without falling in.
Radcliffe Square
Vaults & Garden Hideaway
Find the hidden garden café tucked behind the University Church, right in the middle of the city.
Turl Street
Colour Hunt
Find three unusual colours hiding in plain sight.
Botanic Garden
Hidden Detail
Find something most people walk straight past.
Bath Place
Have a Pint at the Turf Tavern
Find Oxford's most hidden pub and have a drink in it.
Broad Street
Norrington Room Record
Find the bookshop room that once held the Guinness World Record for most shelving in one room.
Christ Church Meadow
The Best Bench in Oxford
No landmark, no ticket, no queue — just the best seat in the city, if you know where to look.
Radcliffe Square
Old Oxford
Find something older than 100 years, right in front of you.
St Giles'
Meet at the Eagle and Child
Have a drink where Tolkien and C.S. Lewis used to argue about their manuscripts.
Jericho
Jericho Canal Wander
Walk the Oxford Canal towpath past the narrowboats of Jericho.
Magdalen College
Magdalen Deer Park Wander
Take a slow walk through Magdalen College's deer park, right in the middle of the city.
Alfred Street
Oxford's Oldest Pub
Visit a pub that's been pouring drinks since 1242.
Oxford Castle
A Drink in the Old Prison
Order a cocktail inside what used to be Oxford's Victorian prison.
Broad Street
Step Inside the Sheldonian
Visit Christopher Wren's first major building.
Beaumont Street
Free Museum, Real Treasures
Find one object in the Ashmolean that stops you in your tracks.
Little Clarendon Street
G&D's Flavour Roulette
Order a scoop of the weirdest-sounding flavour on the board at G&D's.
Cowley Road
Street Art of Cowley Road
Find three pieces of street art along Oxford's most colourful road.
University Parks
Duck Diplomacy
Spend five minutes properly watching the ducks on the Cherwell in University Parks.
Parks Road
Find the Dodo
Track down the most complete dodo remains in the world, free, at the Museum of Natural History.
Christ Church
England's Smallest Cathedral
Visit a cathedral that's also a college chapel.
Cowley Road
Curry Mile Crawl
Try something from Cowley Road's curry mile you've never had before.
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